Reviews Of Old Comics: Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #230

This review is inspired by an article coming up based on a rejected pitch to CBR. This issue has two stories inside, each from some of the best creators the Legion of Super-Heroes ever had. 

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #239

August 1977 - DC Comics

Writer: Paul Levitz
Pencillers: James Sherman and Mike Netzer (as Mike Nasser)
Inker: Jack Abel
Colorist: Liz Berube
Letterer: Bill Morse
Cover Art: Neal Adams

This was when Superboy's solo title became a team book featuring adventures with the Legion of Super-Heroes. At this point, it had been for around three years. Much of this was based on the strength of artists like Dave Cockrum and Mike Grell. The quality would be mixed for some time, but part of the high points would be the writing of Paul Levitz and artists like Mike Nasser and Jim Sherman.

SYNOPSIS:

"The Creature Who Conned The Legion"

The planet Remor is honoring five Legionnaires when quakes endanger the population. An alien named Sden appears and promises the quakes will return. When questioned by the Legion, he explains that a magic crystal is causing destruction to empower itself. The Legion agrees to retrieve the crystal.

After finding the crystal in a volcano, Dream Girl is skeptical that it's the cause of the quakes. The Legionnaires put the crystal in a chest. When Sden gets the chest, he causes more tremors and reveals himself as a villain. The crystal increases magical abilities, and Sden opens the container to destroy the Legionnaires.

However, when opened, flames shoot out, weakening Sden. Element Lad put a phosphorus coating around the crystal, causing the fire. Dream Girl foresaw that Sden would have used the crystal to defeat the Legion and then the sorcerer Mordru. She also noticed him avoiding Sun Boy and his fire-generating power. Sden is taken to Takron-Galtos, and Superboy takes the crystal to the 20th century.

"The Day Bouncing Boy Bounced Back"

While the Legion is burying Chemical King on Shanghalla, Bouncing Boy watches the headquarters. Since he lost his powers, he's been relegated to the Legion reserves. The intruder alarm goes off and Bouncing Boy rushes to catch the intruder. The intruder turns out to be Science Police officer Roon Dvron. While he and the former Legionnaire fight, gas and energy spheres capture both combatants. 

After waking up, Dvron says he was tasked with watching Legion headquarters while everyone was away. The Science Police didn't know the Legion reserve would have that duty. Dvron even damaged the security controls in a way that didn't recognize Bouncing Boy. Frustrated, the former Legionnaire hits the energy shield and finds that it inflates his hand like when he had his powers. Throwing himself into the energy sphere, his powers return in full, allowing him to break out. He and Dvron keep the return of Bouncing Boy a secret, and the Legion returns, none the wiser.

REVIEW:

Both stories are excellent, taking only as much space as they need to tell the stories. Paul Levitz knew how to write the Legion, breaking the team into smaller squads for specific missions. Every Legionnaire has a purpose, keeping Superboy from dominating the story.

Dream Girl really shines. At this point in Legion history, she was still discounted as mostly eye candy, with many writers not knowing how to treat her precognitive powers. Suspicious based on her visions, she takes command of the situation and proves strategic and intelligent. Within a few years, she would become an effective leader for the Legion. Looking at this story, one can see why.

James Sherman and Jack Abel's art in the first story has moments where it is sparse in the details. There are moments, especially a close-up of Dream Girl, where it becomes technically perfect. Liz Berube's colors are a fine compliment in both stories, using unconventional colors like a near-perfect cyan and straight magenta. 

Mike Netzer shows a mastery of form and likeness. Bouncing Boy is consistent, looking like a young adult carrying extra pounds. Netzer's work on Superboy and the Legion remains some of the best ever on the title from a technical point of view.

RATING: 7.0 (out of 10)

NOTES: 

Currently available online on DC Universe Infinite. It has been reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 13. A brief search online shows that a physical copy should run a few dollars. Someone can find a lower-grade copy in a bargain box, but something of this era may not be readily available in such a situation. There is a variant containing an insert for a Mark Jeweler advertisement. This is slightly more valuable than the regular edition of this issue. Completists should also know about this variation.